Cost of Living

According to first quarter 2018 data found in the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index, the region boasts a cost of living 19.2% less than the national average. Among the 263 urban areas that participated in the index, the after-tax cost for a professional/managerial standard of living ranged from more than twice the national average in New York (Manhattan), NY to more than 20 percent below the national average in Harlingen, TX. The Kalamazoo-Portage MSA ranked in the top five urban areas in the U.S. with the most favorable cost of living!

Overall

Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — Quarter 1, 2018; Published May 2018.

Grocery

Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — Quarter 1, 2018; Published May 2018.

Housing

Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — Quarter 1, 2018; Published May 2018.

Utilities

Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — Quarter 1, 2018; Published May 2018.

Transportation

Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — Quarter 1, 2018; Published May 2018.

Health Care

Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — Quarter 1, 2018; Published May 2018.

Miscellaneous

Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index — Quarter 1, 2018; Published May 2018.